 |  |
1998 Ford Libre news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
The Ford Libre blows into the Windy City wîth the top down for the 1998 Chicago Auto Show. This fun-to-drive, four-passenger, quad-door concept is a sporty convertible for the entire family.
'Most small convertibles seat two comfortably,' said J Mays, vice president-Design. 'The Libre provides fun for four while retaining the slick appearance of a two-seat sports car.'
Libre is a design exercise exploring the possibilities of a quad-door, four-passenger convertible. The quad-door concept, first introduced on the Mercury MC4 concept car and currently in production on all Ford extended-cab pick-up trucks, gives Libre a more open rear seating area and allows for easy ingress and egress.
Built off the versatile B-platform that serves as the basic structure for such European production vehicles as the Ford Fiesta, Ka and Puma as well as the Brazilian built Courier pick-up, Libre is another example of Ford's platform flexibility. The ability to use a single platform for a wide variety of vehicles increases the possibility of developing niche vehicles in a short period of time and at a reasonable cost.
'The creative use of common platforms brings two advantages to our customers: better value and distinctive design,' said Jacques Nasser, president-Ford Automotive Operations. 'It's well known that common platforms lead to economies of scale when we use the same pieces in places the customer can't see or feel. Bust as Libre proves, our platform strategy also allows us to do strikingly unique designs.'
Libre's exterior design is simple and straightforward. The body shape and the contours of the body panels give Libre a strong, clean look. Finished in bright red metallic paint and accented wîth jewel-like aluminum headlamps, taillamps and exhausts, Libre is the shiny convertible that sports car enthusiasts dream about.
The windshield is set at a 66-degree angle to give the car a sleek, more aerodynamic look without compromising the head room and comfort of front seat occupants. The headlamps feature three individual tubes. The two larger tubes house reflector beam lamps while the third, smaller tube, houses the amber turn signal lamp. Two large round fog lamps are integrated into the front bumper. The taillamps are a geometric shape and sit high on the decklid along wîth an auxiliary stop lamp.
Libre features two black, egg crate shaped grille openings in the front. The same egg crate design is carried to the rear of the car and is integrated into the lower half of the bumper and houses two aluminum exhaust openings.
The matte, cast aluminum, five-spoke 17-inch wheels and high-performance Pirelli tires are set out to the edges of the wheel openings giving Libre a wide stance.
The attention to detail extends to the red-anodized brake calipers wîth cross drilled rotors, which lend the necessary stopping power wîth style.
Libre does not feature a functioning soft top but could be equipped wîth a variety of different types of soft or hard tops.
The brilliant red from the exterior is carried through to the exposed sheetmetal on the interior. The door panels feature cream colored leather inserts and armrests that compliment the four-tan leather bucket seats.
The brushed aluminum shifter knob is surrounded by black leather and is mounted on the center console along wîth the hand-brake and climate control knobs. Libre starts up wîth the twist of a knob and the push of a button that can also be found on the center console. This type of push button ignition eliminates the need for a conventional key.
Safety features include three-point safety restraints for all four passengers as well as front air bags for the driver and front seat passenger. Structural reinforcements such as the bar that extends across the back of the front seats and the full-length center console give the Libre a sturdy look and feel.
The instrument panel is made up of three large tubular structures that form a binnacle and house gauges that are reminiscent of a chronograph watch that monitor all of the vehicles basic functions. The §teering wheel is wrapped in black leather wîth red inserts.
The top half of the dash board is finished in the same red paint as the exterior and includes four air-registers, that feature the same design as those found in the new Mercury Cougar, as well as an analog clock in the center. The bottom half is covered in cream colored leather to match the doors and seats and includes the control knobs for the radio/CD unit as well as a pop-up messaging center and a compact disc storage compartment.
In addition to the brushed aluminum foot pedals, an extra pedal on the left serves as a foot rest for those moments when the clutch is not engaged.
Libre is powered by a 1.25-liter Sigma engine and features a five-speed manual transmission. (posted on conceptcarz.com) This fuel-efficient powertrain has an estimated highway fuel-economy of around 40-mpg.
Libre will appear at auto shows throughout the year.Source - Ford
'Most small convertibles seat two comfortably,' said J Mays, vice president-Design. 'The Libre provides fun for four while retaining the slick appearance of a two-seat sports car.'
Libre is a design exercise exploring the possibilities of a quad-door, four-passenger convertible. The quad-door concept, first introduced on the Mercury MC4 concept car and currently in production on all Ford extended-cab pick-up trucks, gives Libre a more open rear seating area and allows for easy ingress and egress.
Built off the versatile B-platform that serves as the basic structure for such European production vehicles as the Ford Fiesta, Ka and Puma as well as the Brazilian built Courier pick-up, Libre is another example of Ford's platform flexibility. The ability to use a single platform for a wide variety of vehicles increases the possibility of developing niche vehicles in a short period of time and at a reasonable cost.
'The creative use of common platforms brings two advantages to our customers: better value and distinctive design,' said Jacques Nasser, president-Ford Automotive Operations. 'It's well known that common platforms lead to economies of scale when we use the same pieces in places the customer can't see or feel. Bust as Libre proves, our platform strategy also allows us to do strikingly unique designs.'
Libre's exterior design is simple and straightforward. The body shape and the contours of the body panels give Libre a strong, clean look. Finished in bright red metallic paint and accented wîth jewel-like aluminum headlamps, taillamps and exhausts, Libre is the shiny convertible that sports car enthusiasts dream about.
The windshield is set at a 66-degree angle to give the car a sleek, more aerodynamic look without compromising the head room and comfort of front seat occupants. The headlamps feature three individual tubes. The two larger tubes house reflector beam lamps while the third, smaller tube, houses the amber turn signal lamp. Two large round fog lamps are integrated into the front bumper. The taillamps are a geometric shape and sit high on the decklid along wîth an auxiliary stop lamp.
Libre features two black, egg crate shaped grille openings in the front. The same egg crate design is carried to the rear of the car and is integrated into the lower half of the bumper and houses two aluminum exhaust openings.
The matte, cast aluminum, five-spoke 17-inch wheels and high-performance Pirelli tires are set out to the edges of the wheel openings giving Libre a wide stance.
The attention to detail extends to the red-anodized brake calipers wîth cross drilled rotors, which lend the necessary stopping power wîth style.
Libre does not feature a functioning soft top but could be equipped wîth a variety of different types of soft or hard tops.
The brilliant red from the exterior is carried through to the exposed sheetmetal on the interior. The door panels feature cream colored leather inserts and armrests that compliment the four-tan leather bucket seats.
The brushed aluminum shifter knob is surrounded by black leather and is mounted on the center console along wîth the hand-brake and climate control knobs. Libre starts up wîth the twist of a knob and the push of a button that can also be found on the center console. This type of push button ignition eliminates the need for a conventional key.
Safety features include three-point safety restraints for all four passengers as well as front air bags for the driver and front seat passenger. Structural reinforcements such as the bar that extends across the back of the front seats and the full-length center console give the Libre a sturdy look and feel.
The instrument panel is made up of three large tubular structures that form a binnacle and house gauges that are reminiscent of a chronograph watch that monitor all of the vehicles basic functions. The §teering wheel is wrapped in black leather wîth red inserts.
The top half of the dash board is finished in the same red paint as the exterior and includes four air-registers, that feature the same design as those found in the new Mercury Cougar, as well as an analog clock in the center. The bottom half is covered in cream colored leather to match the doors and seats and includes the control knobs for the radio/CD unit as well as a pop-up messaging center and a compact disc storage compartment.
In addition to the brushed aluminum foot pedals, an extra pedal on the left serves as a foot rest for those moments when the clutch is not engaged.
Libre is powered by a 1.25-liter Sigma engine and features a five-speed manual transmission. (posted on conceptcarz.com) This fuel-efficient powertrain has an estimated highway fuel-economy of around 40-mpg.
Libre will appear at auto shows throughout the year.Source - Ford
| Mazda Cx-5 Named 'Top Family Choice Vehicle' By Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association | |
| WASHINGTON, April 29, 2013 -- The Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association (GAAMA) yesterday named the 2013 Mazda CX-5 its 'Top Family Choice Vehicle' and the all-new 2014 Mazda6 'Best Green Family Choice Vehicle' at its first annual Family Choice Challenge. GAAMA President Nick Palermo said, 'The CX-5 was the clear winner for the overall 'Top Family Choice Vehicle' award. It's stylish, affordable, has comfortable seating and great fuel economy and is fun to drive.' The 2013 CX-...[Read more...] | |
| CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL 46 MPG SETS HIGHWAY FUEL ECONOMY BENCHMARK | |
 | • Best Highway Fuel Economy of Any Non-Hybrid Passenger Car in America • Can travel 700 highway miles on single tank DETROIT – The new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, delivers an industry best EPA-estimated 46 MPG on the highway – better than any non-hybrid passenger car in America. It will be available in certain cities this spring and nationwide and in Canada in early fall. Equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, the latest addition to the Cruze powertra...[Read more...] |
| JEEP® AT THE 2013 GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW | |
 | •European premiere of the new Jeep® Grand Cherokee 2014: the most awarded Large SUV ever has been renewed in terms of internal and external design, technological contents and performance thanks to the new eight-speed automatic transmission •European debut for the new Jeep Compass 2014: revised interior and exterior design, new PowerTech six-speed automatic transmission and all-new safety features •European preview of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition: the new special-edition...[Read more...] |
| BMW at the NAIAS Detroit 2013 | |
 | Captivating looks laced with premium quality and groundbreaking innovations are the standout features of the models charged with continuing the success of the BMW brand into the future. The NAIAS 2013 in Detroit will see BMW presenting visitors with new models now entering series production and pioneering vehicle concepts combining technological progress, innovative forms and exemplary sustainability in a single package. BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe: more elegant, more dynamic, more individ...[Read more...] |
| VOLKSWAGEN CLAIMS BEST HIGHWAY FUEL EFFICIENCY, WITH SEVEN MODELS THAT ACHIEVE MORE THAN 40 MPG | |
 | • New Jetta Hybrid earns EPA fuel economy rating of up to 48 mpg; the first compact hybrid available with a turbocharged engine Herndon, VA - With EPA estimated fuel economy ratings of 48 mpg on the highway, 42 mpg in the city, and a combined rating of 45 mpg, the Jetta Hybrid becomes the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the Volkswagen lineup and the seventh model capable of more than 40 mpg on the highway. With sales of the Jetta Hybrid beginning later this month, Volkswagen wil...[Read more...] |
 1998
Ford
models |
| Ford Contour SVT |
| Ford Mustang |
| Ford Nascar Taurus | 1998 Ford Concepts |
| Ford Alpe |
| Similar Automakers | |
| Cadillac | Chevrolet |
| Chrysler | Dodge |
| GMC | Hummer |
| Jeep | Lincoln |
| Mercury | Pontiac |
| Saturn | |
| Ford: 1991-2000 |
| Similar Automakers |
| Ford History |
| Other models by Ford |
| Manufacturer Website |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
© 1998-2012. All rights reserved. The material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
